Every pet owner knows that terrifying feeling: It’s the middle of the night, and your furry, feathered, or reptilian best friend isn’t acting normal. Who do you call? That’s where Cheat Lake Animal Hospital comes in. CLAH is the only full-service, 24-hour animal hospital in the Morgantown area.

“Our emergency service allows people to come in when their animal is sick without having to schedule an appointment,” says Jesse Fallon, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and part owner of CLAH, “and we have 24-hour hospital care with veterinarians and technicians, which allows us to achieve a higher level of medical care than you would find in a hospital that isn’t open 24-hours a day.”

“Every doctor has a niche that they’re most interested in,” Fallon says. Some are interested in dermatology, some in behavior; some are simply interested in cats. The emergency veterinarians have a lot of experience working with critical patients, complex medical cases, and critically ill animals.

Fallon is most interested in orthopedic surgery, treating joint disease, and working with exotic animals—particularly birds. Some of the most exotic animals he has worked with include fish, tarantulas, and coatimundi, a member of the raccoon family. He has six pets of his own: two dogs, Sally Ann and Liza Jane; two horses, Ranger and Rosie; a 21-year-old Blue Crown Conure named Asha; and an aquatic frog named Michael Jackson. He also serves in leadership roles with the Association of Avian Veterinarians and the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia.

That’s the kind of passion CLAH staff have for animals. CLAH staff number more than 70, including 13 veterinarians. The clinic treats pets as well as injured wild animals. Once a wild animal is healthy again, CLAH releases it to the wild or finds a loving home for it. — JW